The Worst Progresso Pitmaster Soup We Tried Was Bland All Around

Let's be honest: The end of summer is a day many people dread. After all, it marks the official end of pool parties, endless scoops of ice cream, and barbecue season. Luckily, you don't have to say goodbye to your favorite grilled foods when the weather gets noticeably chillier. In fact, you can devour those iconic summer flavors in a more winter-appropriate way thanks to Progresso. The company has released a line of Pitmaster soups that consists of five canned variations inspired by the smoky, meaty flavors we all associate with backyard barbecues. However, not all the soups in this collection will give you a hot bowl of hearty summer vibes. Of the five flavors, there's one that completely fails to capture the deliciousness of traditional barbecue foods: It's the smokehouse-style grilled chicken and potato with roasted vegetables.

This flavor is such a massive disappointment that it was ranked the absolute worst Progresso Pitmaster soup by the Tasting Table staff. Unfortunately, this soup is misleading when it comes to flavor. Based on the name, you would expect it to have a distinctive yet tasty smoky flavor. However, there's nothing smoky about this soup. Yet, there are distinct grill marks on the chicken and roasted vegetables, which implies they should have a hint of barbecue flavor. It's like the grill marks were painted on to trick you into believing the chicken and vegetables came straight off the grill and are packed with plenty of flavor. But, this couldn't be further from the truth. This soup doesn't live up to its smokehouse name and is blander than a slice of white bread.

Made with less than 2% percent of garlic powder, tomato extract, spice, onion powder, and dried parsley, each ingredient has a strong, distinctive flavor that should have been noticeable with every bite. Yet, you don't taste a single one in the meat, vegetables, or broth. It honestly feels like everything was thrown together last minute, and nothing was allowed to simmer in a pot, so the flavors could develop a level of complexity that is desperately needed.

Even with the addition of the Mesquite smoke flavor and dried chipotle pepper, the soup came out bland and featured zero smokiness. To make things worse, the broth is equally as flavorless as it is salty. Each can has 1,490 milligrams of sodium, which is around the recommended amount you should have per day. 

It's safe to say this Pitmaster soup won't be added to our team's list of the absolute best Progresso soups to try. It has nothing to offer besides high-quality ingredients like grilled white chicken meat, roasted corn, roasted carrots, potatoes, and roasted bell peppers, which deserve to be well-seasoned and placed into a better-tasting broth. In spite of that, Progresso claims its customers will love "every soul-satisfying spoonful" of this "flavorful, hearty comfort food." However, the only comforting thing about this soup is the warmth it fills you with when you consume it on a frigid winter night. And your soul won't be satisfied with it unless you're sick and your taste buds are malfunctioning. Then, the blandness won't be a problem. Otherwise, you'll need to find several creative ways to elevate this store-bought canned soup.